Mercury News Wire Services
Johnny Oates, best known for managing the Texas Rangers to their first three postseason appearances, died of brain cancer Friday in Richmond, Va. He was 58.
Oates shared the American League manager of the year award with New York's Joe Torre in 1996, and managed the Baltimore Orioles from 1991-94. He led the Rangers to the playoffs in 1996, '98 and '99. He resigned early in the 2001 season after the team lost 17 of its first 28 games despite the off-season addition of $252 million free-agent shortstop Alex Rodriguez.
Oates was considering a return to managing in October 2001 when the brain tumor was diagnosed. Doctors told him he'd likely die within months without surgery, and possibly within 14 months even if he had the procedure. Oates made a commitment to live each day to its utmost.
``Really there's only one day of the week that has any importance, and that's today,'' Oates said in 2003. ``You can't do anything about yesterday and you can't do anything about tomorrow. It's just today.''
Picked by The Wishman.